For teachers and school administrators throughout the state the beginning of the school year is a busy time. It’s also the time of year that many are required to provide mandated reporter training. Beginning in 2015, several different laws were passed that changed the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), which is the California law requiring employers to identify and train those employees who are mandated reporters. To help make sense of all the changes, below we break down the current training requirements for the various agencies with mandated reporters:
School Districts
AB 1432 became effective in 2015 and requires school districts to train their mandated reporters within the first six (6) weeks of each school year or within six (6) weeks of employment. Training is required annually for this group of mandated reporters.
Agencies that Employ Minors
AB 1963 became effective in January 2021 and adds two additional classes to the list of mandated reporters: human resources (HR) employees and any adult whose duties require direct contact with and supervision of minors. These agencies are required to provide employees with training on identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect.
Agencies that Provide Daycare
AB 1207 became effective in 2018 and requires administrators and employees of licensed daycare providers to be trained in detecting and reporting child abuse. Failure to ensure these employees are trained could result in the facility’s license being revoked.
All Other Agencies with Mandated Reporters
For all other agencies with mandated reporters, CANRA states, “employers are strongly encouraged to provide their employees who are mandated reporters with training in the duties imposed by this article. This training shall include training in child abuse and neglect identification and child abuse and neglect reporting.”
Our LMS partner Vector Solutions offers 2 California specific courses; Child Abuse: Mandated Reporter Training for California and Child Abuse: Mandated Reporter Training for California (EDU) to help PRISM members meet this training need. For questions about this online course or getting set up with Vector Solutions, please contact Risk Control.